Green Chilli and Beans "a.k.a. Chilli Verde"

This is by far my favorite meal in the entire world! The cool thing about this meal is that you can make this meal and freeze it. That way if you want to have a big fiesta you can make this days or weeks in advance and pull it out when you are ready (and the flavors are so intense that no one will ever know it's been in the freezer!!)

For the Green Chilli:
8-12 Anaheim peppers (these are the long green ones-this gives it the green chilli flavor)
6-8 Jalpenos (these are the small green ones-these give the chilli the heat).

Place the peppers and jalepenos in the oven under broil. When the peppers start getting a burnt looked, then flip them to the other side and let the other side char. When they are charred on all sides, remove them from the oven and place them in ziplock bags, and let them "sweat" this takes about 30 minutes-so they cool down.

Remove from ziplock bags and remove the stems and peel off the skin of each pepper and jalepeno. **Note: you may want to use gloves because when removing the skin-the heat is so intense with these peppers your skin can physically feel like it's burning.

Take the jalapenos and peppers and place them in a blender and blend with a tiny bit of water. I blend so the peppers are no longer chunky-but not overly runny. You can pick the consistency. Add enough water to make the consitency you prefer.

For the chilli:
Cut up about 4 pounds of a boneless beef or pork roast into bite sized pieces. Or you can buy the stew meat that's already cut up (but it's more expensive). Brown in large pan and add 1 chopped onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1 tsp. salt. Cook uncovered until the liquid from the meat is gone and meat is browned (this takes about 20-30 minutes for the liquid to absorb). Add enough flour to coat all the meat and sir it around. At this point pour 4 cups of the green chilli blended sauce in with the meat. Slowly add another cup at a time (tasting each time) until you reach the desired "hotness" of your chilli. Whatever chilli blend that is left over you can freeze for your next chilli batch. If you need to add a little water to the chilli so it's not so thick, do so.

Pour in a crock pot and cook on low all day and let all those flavors soak up. Or on High for a few hours.

Serve with refried beans and homemade tortillas....I promise you will love this recipe!!!!

Refried Beans:
Buy a bag of Pinto Beans
Soak in a bowl of water overnight.
Rinse and drain next morning
Pour into crock pot with amount of water it says on the bag
Add 1-2 Tbsp. salt depending on size of pinto bag.
Cook on low all day.
-Serve whole or to make the refried beans
Remove beans from crock pot-put in pan on stove-mash with a masher and add some bean juice and shredded cheese and mix until you get the perfect refried bean texture.


***Place leftover chilli and beans in old cool whip bowls and stick in freezer. Pull out and reheat when you want easy leftovers!!

Lemon and Feta Stuffed Chicken

I found this recipe in my Better Homes and Garden Magazine. And, I gave it a try this week, and we loved this recipe. I did change one thing, instead of reserving some of the feta to put on top after cooking the chicken, I used all of the feta and lemon peel, and stuffed the chicken breasts extra full (I probably used a little more feta than it called for, but I LOVE feta). I can't wait to try this recipe on the GRILL....yum!

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions
1. Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through the thickest portion to, but not through, the opposite side. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of the feta cheese and the lemon peel. Spoon cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once. Sprinkle with remaining feta cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 236, Total Fat(g)9, Saturated Fat(g)4, Monounsaturated Fat (g)4, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Cholesterol (mg)99, Sodium (mg)447, Carbohydrate (g)1, Total Sugar (g)1, Protein (g)35, Vitamin C (DV%)4, Calcium (DV%)36

Recipe taken from Better Homes and Garden Magazine

Lemon Basil Pasta

I got this recipe from my Better Homes and Garden Magazine this month. I tried this recipe, and I LOVE how easy it was, and how fresh it tasted with the lemon and fresh basil. Because it's such a light and healthy recipe, this is a recipe that I am going to use a lot in the summer, when it's hot and I don't feel like cooking a huge filling meal! One tip I should pass on is this recipe calls for 10 oz of linguine...I buy the 16 oz. packages, if you do the same, make sure you double the pesto sauce or it will be too dry...enjoy!!

10 oz. dried linguine or desired pasta
1 19-oz. can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a lemon
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding beans for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids; set aside. Drain pasta and beans; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, finely shred peel from the lemon half (about 2 teaspoons). In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add lemon peel; cook and stir 1 minute, or until lightly golden.

3. In a food processor combine cooked lemon peel, basil, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice from the lemon half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency, processing mixture after every addition.

4. To serve, toss hot cooked pasta mixture with lemon-basil mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories452, Total Fat (g)10, Saturated Fat (g)1, Monounsaturated Fat (g)7, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Sodium (mg)648, Carbohydrate (g)75, Total Sugar (g)4, Fiber (g)9, Protein (g)18, Vitamin C (DV%)21, Calcium (DV%)10, Iron (DV%)26, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Recipe taken from Better Homes and Garden Magazine

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo......or chicken and rice to all you gringos. This is one of my favorite recipes, and it's soooo healthy. You will never want to order this at a Mexican resteraunt after tasting the homemade version!

1 chicken (Two options......I either buy a rotisserie chicken, or when Lee's put's their whole 3-4 Lb. chickens on sale. for 3.99 each, I pick a few up and freeze them. Either will work. But if you cook a whole chicken I season it with a little salt and pepper and garlic salt and cumin)

1 cup frozen peas

1 tsp. salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano, crushed

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 of an onion, chopped

1 cup uncooked long grain rice (non instant rice or brown rice.)

10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes (this is a can with tomatoes and jalepenos)

2 Cups Chicken Broth

Shred chicken with fingers. Add peas, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, and onion. Mix.

Coat a non stick pan with non stick cooking spray, add the rice and saute until light golden brown. Add the Rotel tomatoes-undrained. Press into rice and let simmer 3-5 mins. (I added 1 couple Tbsp. of water so it didn't get too dry). Pour into 13x9 pan. Add the chicken and gently toss to mix. Pour 2 cups of chicken broth to cover the rice and chicken. Add more if necessary to complete cover the mixture. Cover and bake 1 hour on 350 degrees.

Note:When you pour the mixture into the pan, it won't look like a lot of food, but once that rice soaks up all the broth, it will fill the entire pan.

Serve with warm corn tortillas.....salt the arroz con pollo and corn tortillas well before eating....enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle

There's nothing better on a cold fall night than a hot bowl of soup....I have tried a bunch of different recipes and I took the best parts of all the recipes I have tried, and I concocted this ...enjoy! I served a side of breadsticks with this soup, and you can also get the breadstick recipe here.

2 large chicken breasts

2 Chicken Bouillion cubes

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

1 onion

parsley

2 Bay leaves

2-3, 32 oz. containers chicken broth

1 Bag of Country Pasta (At Wal-mart I buy the Extra Wide Homestyle Amish noodles)

1 can 98% Fat Freed Cream of Chicken Soup

Salt and Fresh ground Pepper to Taste

-Fill a large pot with water, throw in 2 chicken bouillion cubes and add chicken. Cook until center is no longer pink. Cool. Run chicken through food processor on chop mode...it makes the perfect consistency for soup.

-Drain pot, and add 2, 32 oz.containers of chicken broth to pot. Add carrots, celery, onion, 2 bay leaves, and parsley (I don't measure my parsley, I just throw in enough to make it look pretty...it's atleast a Tbsp. or two...I use dried, but you can use fresh or dried). Add salt and fresh ground pepper. Add a little at a time and taste.

-Before the vegetables are completely tender, throw in the noodles to start cooking. Cook until noddles are tender. If the soup looks like it's getting dry, add a little bit of the 3rd container of Broth, I usually don't need to.... but, I don't like to add water, I like to keep the rich flavor of the chicken broth. Right before serving add a can of cream of chicken...it will thicken it a little and make it rich.

Remove bay leaves and serve.

Cold Pasta and Shrimp Salad

Here is another great COLD SUMMER RECIPE!
This is a recipe that we love to eat in the summer time with Chris's family. This recipe was made famous by Chris's Grandma B. It's cold and I think it's the only salad that actually leaves me feeling full. We serve this salad with hot rolls and homemade jam and slices of cheddar cheese. It's great if your on a diet and want something that will fill you up! Enjoy!

4 cups cooked shell macaroni (cooled completely)
1 cup finely chopped celery
Ranch dressing mix made up according to pkg. directions
1 Lb. marinated shrimp, drained (recipe below)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion

Mix pasta, shrimp and vegetables. Add enough ranch dressing to make it very moist. You can use bottled ranch but I promise it's not nearly as good as freshly homemade ranch. When you dish it up, we drizzle extra ranch dressing on the top of the salad....sooooo yummy!


MARINATED SHRIMP RECIPE:
1 Lb. salad shrimp (these are the really tiny ones)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh and chopped OR dried dill weed

While you are preparing all the other ingredients. Fill a bowl with hot water and let the shrimp soak in it for a few minutes. drain the water. Do this 2 or 3 times, and the last time soak them in cold water. This will take away the strong fishy taste, leaving a nice tender, not so strong flavor of shrimp for the salad. All shrimp should be nicely pink. Place shrimp in large shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, dill, vinegar, and lemon pepper until blended. Pour over shrimp, tossing until coated. Cover and chill at least one hour to overnigh, stirring occasionally. Drain before serving. Can be used as an appetizer, main dish, salad, etc.

When we make this we double or triple the recipe that way you can eat it for lunch the next day, and you have a healthy lunch.

Cape Cod Turkey Pita's

We went on a picnic and I wanted something quick and easy....and something cold. There's nothing worse than going on a picnic in the middle of summer and eating hot greasy food. This took about 10 min's to whip up, and they are so yummy, pefect for summer!

1 slice deli smoked turkey,cut 3/4" thick(about 1 lb.)
1/2 c lt. ranch dressing (I personally like the homemade ranch, it's tastes so much better!)
1/3 c sliced,blanched almonds
1/3 c Craisins,coarse chopped
2 scallions,chopped
8 small pitabreads (about 1 oz. ea) -I used wheat pita's to make them a little healthier!

Directions
Cut turkey in 1/4" cubes.
In a large bowl,mix together the turkey,dressing,almonds,Craisins and scallions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To serve,cut open each pita about 1" from the top. Spoon a scant 1/2 c of turkey mixture into each.

Tip: To make opening the pita's easier, cut them in half, put in microwave for 15-20 seconds, and they will split right open, making them easier to stuff!

Enjoy!

Recipe found in Family Circle magazine

Low Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Lezlie gave me this recipe. I made a batch of these tonight for Sunday dinner tommorow. Everyone is on their New Year's diets, so I thought I would make these since they are low in fat.



2 Spice Cake Mixes
1 Lg. can Pumpkin
Bag Chocolate Chips

Combine the Spice Cake Mix with the Pumpkin. Stir chocolate chips in. Bake 375 for 14-17 minutes (it will vary depending on your oven, but these are very easy to underbake).

Makes 36-48 cookies-depending on how BIG you make them.

I was told that these are only 2 points per cookie-if anyone is doing Weight Watchers.

Chicken and Shrimp Egg Rolls

Are any of you on Diets for your New Year's Resolutions? This is a great recipe that is Healthy and won't leave you starving 30 minutes later. We get together with Chris's whole family and make these. Usually we get together and make several batches. It's a fun get together activity and we freeze half the batch to pull out for emergency dinner nights. This is a great Light Recipe as long as you don't deep fry them. Although they are beyond delic if they are deep fried, I actually loved the baked version



1 6 oz. can chicken or 1 c. chopped chicken (I prefer the fresh cooked)
1 6 oz. can shrimp, or 6 oz. cut up cooked shrimp (We just buy the big bags of tiny deveined and cooked shrimp from Sam's CLub)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. finely chopped snow peas (opt.)
1 Tbsp. oil
1 beaten egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. egg roll skins
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Mix well and place in egg roll skins. Seal with egg mixed with water. Deep fat fry to golden brown or drizzle with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until crisp and brown.

To serve we drizzle Soy Sauce on Top! It's soo good!

Chicken Veggie Casserole

I can 98% Fat Free Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Fat Free (skim) milk
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 large boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can (16oz.) whole kernal corn, drained (but I used a can of creamed corn-undrained and I really liked it)
2 cups frozen cut green beens
2 cups sliced cooked potatoes
small amount of cheese

I boil my chicken so it's cooked though and easy to shred.
In a large bowl combine the soup, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, corn, beans, and potatoes. Pour mixture into a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. I topped it with a very small amount of cheese, just enough to barely cover the top (but you can leave this out if you want to make it more healthy). Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servins.

Recipe from: Taste of Home's/Budget Suppers

Peaches n' Cream

Okay, I have seriously been missing out!! My mother in law got some peaches this week from Brigham City (the best peaches ever). The other day we sat down and she introduced me to "light" peaches and cream and it was heavenly!!

1 peach, with the skin removed, diced
Half and Half dairy product
Splenda/Equal

Dice the peaches in a bowl, pour half and half on top, cover with Splenda or Equal and enjoy a healthy snack!!!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

So I can't take the credit for this fab recipe, so I give all credit to my friend Haley. I did change a few things so I can add this to my cooking light recipes. But, I also love this recipe because I changed it from grilled chicken to using Rotisserie Chicken. Every other Monday I make a trip to Wal-mart to get 2 weeks worth of groceries. I hate grocery shopping soo bad, and it helps me stay on a budget to plan for 2 weeks. By the time I am done grocery shopping the last thing I want to do is spend another hour of my night cooking and cleaning up dinner. So, every other Monday is my Rotisserie Chicken night, I pick one up at Wal-mart and it's an easy dinner. So, this is one of my new Shopping Monday recipes. Enjoy!

So this is a no measurement recipe....but just do what tastes right.

1 Rotisserie Chicken OR Instead of using Rotisserie chicken, used grilled and chilled chicken.

Next add some celery. chopped.

Green onions. chopped.

Toasted Walnuts or Slivered almonds. (Great for crunch)

Purple grapes cut into halves or quarters

Add garlic salt.

Pepper.

Add a few dashes of lemon Juice.

Fat Free Cream Cheese at Room Temp. (make sure it's at Room Temp.)

Add softened cream cheese and Light mayo...maybe equal parts. It gives your chicken mixture a great rich taste.

Mix it all together, making sure that there is plenty of the mayo/cream cheese mixture...so it doesn't taste dry, and serve on a croissant or if you want it to be a light recipe, serve on Wheat Bread

Homemade French Fries

Believe it or not this is a Cooking Light Recipe, and sooo yummy. Every time we have a BBQ at my in-laws, I'm requested to bring these French Fries.



Potatoes (as many as you want)
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Ground Pepper
Paprika
Emeril's Orignal Essence
Chilli Powder
Season All Salt
Cayenne Pepper


Cut your Potoatoes in half, and then each half, you can get about 4-6 slices of fries.
Coat a Cookie Sheet with PAM spray and then spread out your frech fries so they don't overlap. Coat them lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and then sprinkle all of your seasonings on top.

Bake 350 for 1 hour. Half way through toss them so both sides get cooked. After one hour if they aren't as crispy as you'd like them, broil for a few minutes to make more crispy

Blackened Beef Stir Fry

Okay, so I have been a total slacker about adding new recipes to my blog. But with Young Women's camp and my parents coming to visit for the 4th of July who had time to cook. And let's be realistc, my cooking days are limited in the summer, who wants to cook when you can be outside soaking up the sun!!

But here's a new recipe I tried this week, it was delic and it's a Cooking Light Recips. the only confusion I had on this was that it called for Blackened seasoning. I had never heard of this, the closest thing I could find was seasoned black pepper. If anyone knows what this ingredient is, please let me know!!!

* 12 ounces boneless beef top sirloin steak or top round steak
* 2-1/4 teaspoons blackened seasoning for beef
* 2/3 cup water
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 16-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetables (any combination)
* 3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

1. If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into thin bite-size strips. Sprinkle steak strips with 2 teaspoons of the blackened seasoning; toss to coat well.

2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together the water, tomato paste, cornstarch, beef bouillon granules, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon blackened seasoning; set aside.

3. In a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add stir-fry vegetables. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add beef strips to hot wok. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

4. Push meat from center of wok. Stir sauce. Add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to wok. Stir together to coat all ingredients with sauce. Heat through. Serve over rice.

5. Makes 4 servings

Taken from Better Homes and Garden

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have been a slacker for a couple weeks, but I have been on vacation, and who cooks while they are on vacation? I am back and this is what we had for supper last night. It was delic, and healthy!!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup prechopped fresh onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of ground red pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, divided
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) jar green salsa
10 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)


Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prechopped onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, and 7 tablespoons ripe olives; stir well.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 6 tortillas.

Combine milk, chopped cilantro, and salsa in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over top of tortillas. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 cup green onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon olives. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 casserole slice and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 353(30% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.8g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 396mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.8g; SODIUM 734mg; PROTEIN 23.5g; FIBER 7.9g

Maureen Callahan , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Southwestern Chicken Wraps

These were so so fast and easy! This was taken from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup dairy sour cream (I use fat free, so that might make the nutritional value in fat and calories even lower)
Guacamole (Just purchase the packet in the produce isle, and 2 avacados)

4 10-inch dried tomato, spinach, and/or plain flour tortillas (I purchased Jalepeno and Cheddar tortillas from Wal-mart and they ended up being more healthy than plain tortillas)
2 5.5-ounce packages Southwestern-flavored refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips (I couldn't find this, so I purchased Chipotle flavored at Lee's marketplace, and they were just as tasty)
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded lettuce
Directions
1. In a small bowl stir together sour cream and guacamole. Divide sour cream mixture among tortillas, spreading over one side of each tortilla. Divide chicken, tomatoes, and lettuce among tortillas. Roll up. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories 395
Total Fat (g) 13
Saturated Fat (g) 4
Cholesterol (mg) 49
Sodium (mg) 1015
Carbohydrate (g) 45
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 25

Black and White Strawberries

I had a sick baby this week, so i didn't have a lot of time to try new recipes. I did make my Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwiches, so if you haven't tried that one, it's a must. It's under my cooking light recipes. But, I can always find time for some good chocolate. I tried this recipe out of a weight watcher's cookbook. How can this be bad??? Strawberries and chocolate, yum! And yes, this will be listed under my cooking light recipes. Also, I eliminated the raspberry liquer and I think next time I am going to try milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I am kind of a sucker for milk chocolate. I made these for our playdate, so I also used the chocolate to dip Animal Cookies. I just dipped the bottoms of the animals feet.They turned out really cute.Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1½ teaspoons raspberry liqueur (framboise)
1½ teaspoons water8 large strawberries, with stems
½ ounce white chocolate, chopped, or 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In a small microwavable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, liqueur, and water; microwave on High, stirring twice, until melted and smooth, about 1½ minutes. Holding a berry by the hull, dip the berry halfway into the chocolate; set on the wax paper. Repeat with the remaining berries and chocolate.
2. In another small microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave on High, stirring once, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. Serve chilled.

Per serving (2 dipped strawberries): 97 Cal, 4 g Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 4 mg Sod, 15 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 1 g Prot, 21 mg Calc.
POINTS value: 2
Tip:Try this with other fruits, too: Grapes, orange sections, apple or pear wedges, or banana chunks (soak the apples, pears, or bananas for a minute or two in a mixture of lemon juice and water to prevent browning). It’s also delicious with fat-free pretzels.
from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. Copyright © 2005 by Weight Watchers Staff.

Hernandez Fam Guacamole

If you have never had fresh guacamole, you have to try this recipe. It puts all the mexican resteraunts recipes to shame!! Remember Avacados are loaded with the "good" fat, so if you eat this in moderation, without a lot of tortilla chips, this is healthy for you!

2 ripe avacados, pitted and peeled
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Run all the ingredients together in a food processor. Make sure you don't over puree it, you want it to be a "little" chunky.

Note: I add the green chilli seeds in with this, but if you are a wuss, you might want to remove the chilli seeds and then taste the guacamole, then if it still needs a kick, then add the seeds. Also, depending on the ripeness of all the fresh ingredients you may want to add more lemon juice and more salt, just add a little at a time until it tastes just right. Enjoy!

Shredded Pork Tacos

I really like this recipe, it was reallly yummy, it just takes awhile for the roast to cook in the oven, but other than that, it was really simple to make.

1 pork roast
cumin
onion
salt
pepper
garlic powder
12 taco shells or six 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup bottled salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese or anejo enchilado cheese (2 ounces)
Dairy sour cream (optional)
1 recipe for Guacamole (look at Guacamole Recipe)
Directions
1. I sprinkled my roast with cumin, dried onion (you could probably use a half of lipton onion packet if you don't have dried onion,) salt, pepper and garlic powder, just enough to cover the top of the roast. I put it in a roasting dish and added a little bit of water and baked it for 30 minutes on 325, and then turned it down to 275 and let it cook for another 1-2 hours.
Shred pork using two forks to pull through meat in opposite directions. Drain pork and return the pok to the stove top. Stir in salsa, additional cumin, garlic powder and salt and pepper and a little water. If you would rather use a small can of whole tomatoes instead of adding water that would taste even better. Then just let it cook slowly on the stove stirring, to make sure that it stays moist and doesn't get dry.
2. To assemble tacos, place pork mixture in warm taco shells. Top with lettuce, cheese, and guacamole. (If using flour tortillas, place pork mixture in center of warm tortillas and add remaining ingredients; fold tortillas in half.) If desired, serve with sour cream.
4. Makes 12 tacos

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained


Preparation
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 249(30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 23.3g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 106mg; SODIUM 650mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.1g

David Bonom , Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006